Türkiye began Monday deliveries of its domestically developed and redesigned Hürkuş advanced trainer aircraft to the Turkish Air Forces Command, with the first planes entering service following the completion of acceptance tests.
A total of 55 Hürkuş II aircraft are planned to be delivered through 2028, including 12 that are scheduled for delivery by the end of this year, according to Haluk Görgün, Head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
The first two aircraft of the substantially redesigned version of the original Hürkuş variant were formally handed over at a ceremony at Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara, Daily Sabah reported.
“This is a historic day for Turkish aviation,” Görgün said at the ceremony, adding that Türkiye had, for the first time, entrusted a domestically developed manned aircraft to its own pilots.
With its modern avionics, performance and maneuverability, Hürkuş II is expected to help develop the flight skills of trainee pilots while providing a common training foundation for Türkiye’s next generation of locally developed combat aircraft.
The aircraft features a wingspan of 10.8 meters, has a maximum takeoff weight of 3.3 metric tons, a service ceiling of 39,270 feet, a maximum range of 1,190 km and a maximum cruise speed of 533 kilometers per hour. Equipped with an anti-G system, the aircraft can fly upside down for 30 seconds.
“We confidently say that we have built the best aircraft in its class,” Görgün said, referring to the flight performance and engineering capabilities.
The Hürkuş’s cockpit and avionics architecture were designed to be compatible with other domestically developed aircraft, including the Hürjet advanced trainer and fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet, Görgün said.
The common architecture is intended to make the transition easier for pilots moving to more advanced platforms.
The project has also helped build Türkiye’s engineering capabilities in the design, development, testing and integration of manned aircraft, Görgün concluded. (Daily Sabah; Photo: One of the two Hürkuş-II trainer aircraft delivered to Turkish Air Forces Command on September 28, 2026 © AA)
